Jakeem Grant – June 6, 2017
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Tuesday, June 6, 2017
WR Jakeem Grant
(We’ve seen you a lot about your offseason at Texas Tech and everything like that. We’ve heard about fielding the punts. What has stood out to you about what you’ve done this offseason?) – “I’ll say just consistently doing it over and over and just getting comfortable with doing it and just feeling it. I texted Matt (Darr) over the offseason and see if he could come down to Lubbock just to see if we could get some working going. That’s exactly what I did, just getting comfortable with catching them and building that confidence, no matter what the weather is. No matter how it is, it doesn’t matter. Down in Lubbock, the wind is crazy out there. So I wanted Matt to come out there because there could be a chance going into this season we get crazy wind like that. It was great for him to come down there and punt to me.”
(So you paid for P Matt Darr’s flight down there?) – “No, I didn’t actually pay for his flight down there. He came down there – I took him out just to show my appreciation for him coming out there. Just basically showed him a good time for him to come down there and for us to get work.”
(Did P Matt Darr stay at your place?) – “No, he didn’t stay at my place. He stayed in the hotel. I’m pretty sure he didn’t want to stay at my place. I had a lot of … My kids were running around, so he’d probably never sleep. (laughter)”
(What was that conversation like when you call the punter of the team? I’m sure he’s not expecting many teammates to call him. When you called him to say let’s go workout.) – “The conversation just hit right off. I didn’t shy away from it. I was like ‘Hey Matt, what are you doing over the weekend?’ He was like, ‘I’m getting with a couple of punters.’ He was just traveling and punting with other punters. I was like ‘Is there any chance we can link up in Lubbock or even in Dallas?’ Because we did link up in Dallas as well. He was just like ‘Yes, I’ll come out there.’ I was like ‘Alright, if you come out here, I’ll show you a good time. We’ll go out and have a drink or so and go out to eat.’ It was a great conversation, just like having a conversation with one of my teammates on the team.”
(Everyone stays away from the punters and the kickers right?) – “Not me, I’m typically … Just like in college, I get along with the punters and kickers because a lot of the punters and kickers in college like to play ping pong and I love to play ping pong. (laughter) Therefore I never shy away from the punters. I like to get to know them just as well as any other teammate.”
(You are on track of catching 1,000 punts this spring? That’s what Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi said?) – “Oh yes, definitely. I even gave Rizzi a hard time because of the weather and we couldn’t shoot the JUGS (machine). I was like ‘Man, going into this year, you’re getting kind of soft on me. You used to harp on me last year about catching as many punts as I can. Now that I want to catch punts, you try to limit me.’ So yes, every day – after practice, before practice, no matter what – I’ll stay out there until I feel that I’m fielding them the way I should be fielding them, looking them all the way in and just feeling very comfortable with doing it.”
(Would you say you catch 95 percent of them, 98 percent of them?) – “Yes, I catch very much every last one of them. Even if I drop one – There’s going to be a time I drop one, that’s what OTAs are for, getting those things corrected – but 90 percent of the time, I’m catching every last one of them and fielding them and just working out situations where I’m … I have to shoot the JUGS with my back turned and just listening for it and then turn around and just seeing how to track the ball. I just get on track of just catching as many balls as I can so going into the season, it will be second nature.”
(How have you done as a receiver? We see them doing different things with you out there. How do you feel that area of your game is progressing?) – “I feel good. I feel good about being a receiver. They’re working me inside and out. Basically, it helps me learn the playbook inside and out, because I know what the inside receiver does. That helps me know exactly what I’m doing on the outside. With them moving me around from inside to outside, it helped me tremendously. I feel more comfortable and I don’t have to think about ‘What do I have on this route?’ I can just play as fast as I can.”
(Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi said yesterday that on your exit interview last year you told him that you were disappointed in how it went and that you didn’t feel like you put your best foot forward. Why was that?) – “I felt like mentally, I let it get to me. Just when I dropped the punts in the game, I let it get to me; and just instead of just playing the next play … I was a rookie. I was trying to do whatever I can to go out there and just impress the coaches. In your career, you’re going to have mess-ups, you’re going to have dropped balls, you’re going to have this and that; and so mentally I just couldn’t get over that hump last year. So this year, I’m mentally ready and I’m focused. Like you’re going to have a dropped ball, you’re going to have this and that, it’s about overcoming that obstacle.”
(Have you used that new mindset already like out here in drills?) – “Oh yes, definitely. Like I said, I’ve dropped punts but I have dropped punts before out here and it’s all about the next one. That’s what the OTAs are for is about getting better and working to be at your best when the season comes.”
(So last year when you would go back to fielding a punt, especially early in the year, what was going through your mind? Was that there a little bit of uncertainty because of the …) – “Yes, definitely. At the first start of the season, I was catching everything, fielding them just fine. All it took was that one drop to make me unsure of ‘Oh, am I going to catch this one or am I going to drop it?’ And that’s what created the chain reaction of dropping it, because I’m thinking so much of ‘Oh, I hope I don’t drop this one.’ But this year I’m going into it like I’m catching everything that comes my way, no matter what it is – a punt or a catch on a pass. So therefore, it’s just the fact of having that confidence of going back there and the confidence and swagger of saying ‘I’m going to catch this and I’m going to make a big play.’”
(There were fewer than 20 offensive snaps for you last year. Offensive Coordinator Clyde Christensen said he’d like to get you more involved in the offense. Has Clyde or Head Coach Adam Gase told you what they’d like to see from you for you to become more of a factor in the offense?) – “Basically just being comfortable with the offense and knowing the playbook inside and out. That’s what I just previously said, just being an inside receiver going to the outside receiver, I know exactly what’s going on in the inside and knowing everybody’s role is a part of this offense, so that you know exactly what you have to do or the basic concepts of the offense. That’s the great thing for them about moving me inside and out is me learning the offense. So I feel like going into this year, I know the offense really good, and I’m looking forward to whatever they have planned for me.”
(If you play a lot on the outside, you’re going to see bigger or more physical corners than you would in the slot. How do you beat that?) – “What God blessed me with is speed and quickness and there are a lot of corners that don’t match up to the smaller, quicker, quick-twitch receivers on the outside. So I’m going to use exactly what my God-given ability is towards them. Basically, not letting them get hands on me and working the release and not shying away from how big they are or how physical they are on the outside. Basically (I’m) using what I’ve been blessed with and what I go out there and work on each and every day with (Wide Receivers) Coach (Shawn) Jefferson. It’s just like going against Tony Lippett or Xavien (Howard) when they’re pressing me. I work it every single day so when I get over to the game, it will just be second nature.”
(You took one to the house last year against Tennessee. Is the feeling any sweeter on this level than it is in college?) – “Oh, definitely. It is much sweeter. You’ve got more fans cheering for and you get a lot of people congratulate you. I would say the feeling is definitely sweeter because I’ve always dreamed to be at this level and to make a big impact that I did against Tennessee, and with the return, so it’s much sweeter. I plan to have more of those coming this year.”
(How do you look at your role on the team now? Are you a return guy and receiver or is it different than last year? Are you a return guy who plays receiver?) – “No. I would refer myself as a receiver then a returner. I’ve always been like that this whole time, even when I was in college. In college I was a receiver and a returner. I caught 90 balls in college and so, therefore, I prefer myself as a receiver than a returner. Like (Offensive Coordinator) Clyde (Christensen) said, he felt like I played less than 20 snaps. He looks forward to putting me more involved in offense and whatever they have for me, I’m willing to take on. I just have to show them that they can rely on me.”
